The Wellcraft 35 Scarab Sport has a LOA of 35’4” (10.76 m) and a wide 9’11” (3.02 m) beam. With a 23-degree deadrise she’s clearly built for long offshore runs.



A white powder-coated sport arch with fabric top is standard on the 35 Scarab Sport; it has rocket-launcher rod stowage and an electronics box. Optional is a fiberglass T-top on an aluminum frame, with outrigger plates, spreader lights, more rod holders and overhead PFD stowage.

Mission Statement

Wellcraft created this 35 Scarab Sport for combining the good qualities of an offshore center console with those of a cuddy-cabin cruiser, making a serious fishing boat that's also fine for family outings. A full fiberglass liner incorporates a head compartment under the console and the two-berth cuddy. There's lots of seating around the console and at the transom.



V-berths in the cuddy convert to a platform with filler cushions. Wellcraft offers a selection of interior fabrics, and includes a table and decorator pillows.

Differentiating Features

• Wider Beam. This provides more seating and cockpit space which means more room for fighting fish and simply moving about.

• Wider Console. This allows Wellcraft to include a portside step-down entry to the self-contained head, with sink and access to console rigging.

• Pull Out Battery Sliders. These allow best accessibility for battery maintenance. Batteries are heavy, and having to shoe-horn them into place is not only inconvenient, it isn’t safe.

• Pressurized Fresh and Raw Water System. This allows for a shower in the head and at the transom.

Construction Highlights

• The transom layout designed to allow access to mechanical equipment. Forgetting that boats always need maintenance is a major oversight for a manufacturer. Wellcraft makes accessibility easy.

• Full fiberglass liner with integrated storage. No marine-grade plywood with fiberglass overlay here. That means no rot and no water seeping into seams that weren’t caulked properly. The deck has scuppers for sending any water that comes aboard, right back overboard.

• Foam fiberglass encapsulated stringer system. As strength to this offshore ready hull.

• Composite transom. Keeps the weight down while keeping the strength in.

Long on Standards

The standard equipment list is long. Among the standouts that we found, Wellcraft equips the 35 Scarab Sport with a 6-gal. (22.7 L) water heater, showers in both the head and on the swim platform, shore power with 30-amp converter, a powder-coated sport arch, a cleverly hidden single burner butane stove, a vanity with mirror in the head, courtesy lights and both built-in and removable coolers.



There's plenty of empty space on the console, enough for two nav units plus fishfinders and so forth. Inside the console, there's a head with sink and shower. We like the array of rocker switches; you can't see it here, but each one is clearly labeled. The horn is all the way to port. A compass is standard, but placed on the centerline rather than directly in front of the helm; we prefer the latter.



We like this fold-down seat behind the helm, great for watching baits, keeping an eye on kids swimming or just daydreaming. Note the under-gunwale rod stowage, reminding us this is primarily a fishing boat.

Don't Forget Fishing

But Wellcraft includes plenty of fishing gear on the 35 Scarab Sport standards list, too. Included are a 21-qt (19.9 L) baitwell and rigging station at the transom that includes a sink, raw water washdown, and 2 removable bins. We also found port and starboard in-deck fishboxes with overboard drains. Pull-up cleats won't snag your lines. There are four gunwale rod holders, under-gunwale racks port and starboard and rocket-launcher holders in the arch. Coaming bolsters are also standard. A transom door will do double duty for both fishing and swimming – a heavy-duty dive ladder is optional. We prefer them to the often flimsy folding ladders most builders provide.



Tip-out tackle stowage is handy – we think these are standard Plano boxes. Most fisherman have a bunch of them at home, and bring on each trip the ones appropriate for the fish they're chasing. Note the double scuppers for faster drainage – this can be an important safety feature if a lot of water comes aboard. Note the transom door opens inward; if it swings open while backing down, lots of ocean can slosh aboard in a hurry.

Notable Options

Of course what boat would be complete without a list of options that allow users to dial in their Scarab to their liking? A 40-qt (37.9 L) Kodiak baitwell comes with pullout drawers and additional tackle storage trays. Taco Grand Slam outriggers with 15’ (4.6 m) are also optional, but only with an upgrade to the T-top. And speaking of the T-top, it includes an aluminum frame, electronics box, PFD storage, 8 rod holders, and 3 spreader lights.



Standard side-by-side helm chairs with drop seats convert to double bolsters. Note this boat has triple outboards with high-performance controls, standard with this power, optional with twins. There's racing in the Scarab's DNA that no amount of trolling or spin-casting will displace.

Calling All Options

Even if heavy-duty offshore fishing isn’t in the game plan, There are still some options that will make this great boat even better. Wellcraft will add air conditioning for the cuddy, with a separate shore circuit and cord; a 5-kW genset, radar; a full electronics array; and so forth. In short, you can load up your 35 Scarab Sport with all kinds of extras.



A propane cook top is standard, concealed in the gunwale aft in the cockpit. It's not for gourmets, but fine for making coffee or frying a couple of eggs, or the fish you just caught. The fold-up stowage is a neat idea. Let the burner cool off before folding it, though.



The head is inside the center console, and includes a sink and hot and cold water. This arrangement leaves the cuddy just for sleeping: Midnight calls of nature won't involve disturbing one's sleeping partner. Optional air conditioning will make the 35 Scarab Sport a comfortable weekend cruiser even during the dog days, as long as you sleep within range of shore power, or add the 5-kW genset.

Power

Maximum rated power for the Wellcraft 35 Scarab Sport is 900-hp, with triple 300’s offered from Merc and Yamaha. Most boats are rigged with 700-hp in twins, which will only take the form of Yamaha F350s. We haven't tested the boat ourselves, but Wellcraft test results claim a top speed of 54.0 mph (86.9 kph), cruise of 38.1 mph (61.3 kph) at 4000 rpm with twin F350s. Range at cruise is 525 mi (845 km) at that speed. Again, these are Wellcraft numbers, not ours, so don't call us if your 35 Scarab Sport doesn't go as fast, but chances are…. it will.



A rigging station at the transom has a sink and raw-water washdown; an 84-qt. (79.5 l) lighted baitwell is adjacent to it. The coaming pads are standard.



When the fishing's over, this fold-up aft seat will make a comfortable perch for the ride home.

Observations

Wellcraft’s reputation with the Scarab is legendary, and they are the definitive performance boat for the brand. They not only carry pride of ownership, but make a statement that the owner of this boat has arrived, and done so in style.